1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an information processing apparatus, an image processing program product, and an image processing method, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus, an information processing apparatus, an image processing program product, and an image processing method with high operability for re-outputting.
2. Description of the Related Art
When an image forming apparatus such as a printer is used in an environment connected to a network, an application to operate the image forming apparatus is started in an information processing apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus. Then, for example, after printing is done in the image forming apparatus and the application is ended, if an additional operation becomes necessary in connection with the printing such as additional printing or changing print settings, the application needs to be opened again to perform the operation.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-236575 (referred to as Patent Document 1) proposes an image recording apparatus as follows. When an additional operation becomes necessary before printing (that is, when the job is in the queuing state) or during printing, the image recording apparatus stops a printing operation by a prescribed operation, changes the conditions by an operation in itself, and does the printing from the beginning under the changed conditions.
Patent Document 1 also proposes a method of changing conditions after printing, in which a job is printed and simultaneously saved in a dedicated memory region that is a so-called box, so that the corresponding job is selected and printed again with changed conditions by opening the box later.
However, the operation of opening an application again to perform an operation after an operation was once performed on an image forming apparatus is cumbersome and inconvenient for the user.
Moreover, in the image recording apparatus proposed in Patent Document 1, although the conditions can be changed before or during printing, additional printing or changing print settings generally becomes necessary after the printed material is examined. Unfortunately, the settings cannot be changed after completion of the printing.
In addition, even when a job is printed and simultaneously saved in the aforementioned box, an operation for opening a box is necessary to perform an additional operation after printing, which is cumbersome and inconvenient for the user.